We all have our comfort zones, it’s a state where you feel safe or at ease, it shouldn’t be mistaken for an actual place, it's more of a mental/emotional setting that defines our daily life. Basically, it means familiarity, safety.

“Your life starts at the edge of your comfort zone”

- Anonymous

If you are familiar with this quote then telling you how important it is to step out of it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Being in a comfort zone is not healthy for your life, we will share with you the benefits of escaping your comfort zone.

It makes you become more productive

One of the many hazards of staying in one’s comfort zone is that is bars you from being productive, and more, it stops you from chasing your dreams. Once you are able to break that emotional barrier, you automatically become more productive as you will become more eager to break more boundaries. You become more ambitious. You’ve heard of the Serena Williams, Oprahs, and Beyoncés of this world. These ladies are great at what they do not because they wake up every morning to do the same thing but because they have chosen to step out of their comfort zones and train hard. Amazingly, most of them still feel ambitious even after all their staggering achievement. So, if you want to be more, you have to do more.

It unleashes your creativity

You will never be creative if you stay and think within the box. No one is asking you to break the rules, but won't it hurt to bend them a little. Pablo Picasso once said “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist”. This is true! But you can only do this if you are willing to step out of that “everyday normal” life of yours. When we are able to push your boundaries, try new things and learn, you become more skilled and creative. And this doesn’t just apply to the artist, it applies to everyone.

You will grow

When we say “grow”, it applies to every part of our life, including our body. I use to be a skinny girl, was laughed at by many. So, one day, I decided to change my diet and do more exercise, this was not my “daily routine” but I had to. It was pretty difficult at first, but now I’m reaping the benefit, and I feel more comfortable now. But don’t get me wrong, that’s just part of the whole package. Growing for you might be acquiring more knowledge on something. On your path to greatness, you learn new things and become a better you, this is something you will never get if you stay in your comfort zone.

Prepares you for the coming opportunity

The fight between David and Goliath changed David’s life for good, but that was not how his story started. While he was in the forest, taking his father’s sheep to feed, he had to fight bears, Lions, and snakes, he didn’t stay in his comfort zone. And when that opportunity came for him to fight Goliath, rather than seeing it as a problem, he saw it as an opportunity, that’s how stepping out of your comfort zone makes you feel. Chances/opportunities can come at any time, and even though it might appear as a problem at first, with the right preparation, it becomes an opportunity.

So, just as in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf once said “if your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough”. If it's your dream to become a great person in life, it is possible, but you will need to step out of your comfort zone first.